Treatsie Tuesdays! (Pumpkin Donut Holes)

Donuts.

Donuts. Donuts. Donuts.

Wowza. I mean, donuts are pretty much the epitome of junk food.

Next to french fries, maple glazed donuts are probably my favorite junk food.

Good grief … I can hardly believe I’m saying this on the world wide web.

But somehow I think Paul was thinking of this very moment when he said, “It is for freedom He set us free.”

Freedom to come right out and say it.

I love donuts.

Freedom.

Done and done.

So, here’s the dealio. I’ve got this friend named Vicki who reads these crazy Treatsie Tuesday entries and, in honor of the refreshing Autumnal air, she requested something pumpkin.

I could have made my good friend some pumpkin pie – but we know that’s coming just around the corner. (I stinkin’ love Thanksgiving.) I could have made her mini pumpkin cheesecakes, or a pumpkin latte, or even salted pumpkin caramels. But I did not. I … well, I did what any good friend would do. I made donuts.

These little babies are cute and round and exploding with pumpkiny goodness. And you know what? They’re actually full of some serious nutrition. Crazy, right?

Settle down, though. That doesn’t mean this isn’t a dessert. Because anything brushed with butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar is most definitely a dessert. But the inside – oh the inside. The inside is full of whole wheat and rich spices and deep orange potassium-laden pumpkin. They’re baked, not fried. Major plus. And they’re mini – so a little goes a long way.

Ready to get in the kitchen? Let’s do this.

The victims:  Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, Brown Sugar, Canned Pumpkin (or your own cooked down pumpkin), Baking Powder, Salt, Pumpkin Pie Spice (I made my own), Egg, Butter, Vanilla, and Milk.

Alright – First you’re going to want to grab a medium sized bowl and dump in your flours, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

Whisk it up.

Next, grab a separate large bowl and dump in your egg, vanilla, sugar, milk, and pumpkin.

Whisk that up.

Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and stir just until combined.

When the batter is ready, grease a mini muffin tin and dollop a spoonful of that crazy orange batter into the molds. Fill it just about 2/3 full.

Pop it in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Then remove the little donut holes from the tin and let them cool completely on a rack.

Once they’re at room temp, melt your butter in a little bowl and combine your extra sugar with some more pumpin pie spice. This is the good stuff, right here.

Take a donut hole and brush some butter on. Then roll it around in the spiced sugar mixture.

Plop it on a plate and voila! You’ve got pumpkin donut holes, baby.

It’s been years since I’ve had a donut. It’s true. But these may show an appearance in my life from time to time. Now … if only I can drum up a recipe for maple glazed donut holes. Oi vey!

These are ridiculous – in a completely great way. Moist on the inside, slight crunch on the outside. Ai, ai, aiy!

It’s like Autumn … for your tastebuds. Delicious.

My friends? Enjoy!

Pumpkin Donut Holes

(Adapted from Eighty Twenty)

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose  flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 Tbsp warmed coconut oil or room temperature olive oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup skim milk

TOPPING
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Spray each cup in a mini muffin tin with baking spray.In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. In a large separate bowl whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until dry ingredients are moist.

Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove donuts from oven and transfer to a cooling rack or a sheet of waxed paper to cool completely.

When cool, melt butter in one bowl and combine granulated sugar and pie spice in another bowl. Brush each cooled donut with melted butter, then roll in sugar mixture to coat.

Let sit about 15 minutes before serving or store in an air-tight container.